‘Taking the mickey’ - Jamie Vardy makes Italian lessons admission as children pose challenge for Leicester legend on the back of first Serie A goal for Cremonese

The evergreen 38-year-old is in no hurry to hang up professional boots, with a new challenge being sought after severing ties with the Foxes. Premier League title winner Vardy hit 200 goals for Leicester through 500 appearances. He is now up and running in the Italian top-flight.

Adjusting to the demands of a new division on the field has not been easy, with minor injuries holding him back, while a new culture is having to be embraced off the field. Vardy is a man that prides himself on overcoming every hurdle placed in his path - with a remarkable journey to the top of world football being enjoyed.

Communicating with team-mates and coaching staff is posing a slight problem at present, but Vardy intends to address that quicker than any other member of his household. The larger-than-life frontman told Sky Sports Italia when asked how he is coping on a linguistic level: “I only know the basics, good morning, thank you, numbers, but I’ll be taking lessons as of next week, so hopefully that will start the bringing on the language a bit more. I have to learn, as my kids are learning, and I can’t have them learning it before me, otherwise they’ll be taking the mickey out of me!”

On footballing differences between England and Italy, Vardy added: “It’s more tactical and possession based in Serie A, you get to the Premier League and it’s all high intensity, fast paced, normally end to end. Here you have more time on the ball, you need to make sure you’re in the right positions.

“At the end of the day, football is football, we just have to make sure we’re on it 100 per cent every week. It’s 11 against 11 every week, anyone can beat anyone, so as long as we’re fully on it, we know that we can pick up points no matter who we’re playing.”

Vardy was given a warm welcome when joining Serie A newcomers Cremonese and is delighted to be rewarding the faith shown in him. He scored his first goal against Atalanta, with said effort eventually being cancelled out in a 1-1 draw.

He said of getting off the mark: “I’m over the moon to get my first goal, but taking the lead that late on, I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t get the three points. Still, it’s a step in the right direction.”

Despite questions being asked of Vardy’s fitness, as he plays towards the age of 40, he pulled off a sprightly backflip celebration when hitting the back of the net. He said of his physical condition: “I feel great. I look after myself, make sure I do all the right recovery and as close to 100 per cent for each game as and when they come. If the manager wants me to play, then I’m all ready to go, and then that decision is up to the manager. I’m ready whenever.”

Cremonese will be hoping to see Vardy deliver for them on a regular basis, with a positive start being made to life in the Italian top tier. Vast experience will be put to good use as they attempt to compete with more established outfits such as Juventus, Inter, Napoli and AC Milan.

Vardy’s exploits will be caught on camera, with it revealed that - outside of matchday action - he is to star in a documentary series alongside his partner and children. He promises to provide plenty of entertainment there, with the enigmatic striker the kind of character that likes to have fun in every aspect of his life.